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Historical English

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Historical dictionary evidence for King James-era English usage and KJV false friends.

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Happy

Etymology: from hap ; Welsh hapus , properly lucky, fortunate, receiving good from something that falls or comes to one unexpectedly, or by an event that is not within control. See Hour .

Definitions

1

HAP'PY , adjective [from hap ; Welsh hapus , properly lucky, fortunate, receiving good from something that falls or comes to one unexpectedly, or by an event that is not within control. See Hour .]

1

Lucky; fortunate; successful.

3

Chimists have been more happy in finding experiments, than the causes of them.

4

So we say, a happy thought; a happy expedient.

2

Being in the enjoyment of agreeable sensations from the possession of good; enjoying pleasure from the gratification of appetites or desires. The pleasurable sensations derived from the gratification of sensual appetites render a person temporarily happy ; but he only can be esteemed really and permanently happy , who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God. To be in any degree happy , we must be free from pain both of body and of mind; to be very happy , we must be in the enjoyment of lively sensations of pleasure, either of body or mind.

6

Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. Genesis 30.

7

He found himself happiest , in communicating happiness to others.

3

Prosperous; having secure possession of good.

9

Happy is that people whose God is Jehovah. Psalm 144.

4

That supplies pleasure; that furnishes enjoyment; agreeable; applied to things ; as a happy condition.

5

Dextrous; ready; able.

12

One gentleman is happy at a reply, another excels in a rejoinder.

6

Blessed; enjoying the presence and favor of God, in a future life.

7

Harmonious; living in concord; enjoying the pleasures of friendship; as a happy family.

8

Propitious; favorable.

Source: American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 Edition), MDX derived from public Internet Archive item. Private-use review; confirm rights before public redistribution